Sanitary bandage



SANITARY BANDAGE Sept. 2 9 H924.

HOLLY Filed march 24. 1923 INVEN TOR 2 A ORNE Y Patented Sept. 2, lQZdO HENRY WELLS HOLLY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SANITARY BANDAGE.

Application filed March-24, 1923. Serial No. 627,397.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, HENRY WELLS HOLLY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Bandages,.of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to bandages, and more particularly to that class of such arti- -'cles as are commonly called catamenial bandages, though the same may also be employed as an ordinary surgical bandage, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The object of the invention is toprovide an absorbent bandage, enclosed. within. a pliable but liquid proof pouch having an openin for exposing the absorbent enclosure, t e device being provided with means for maintaining the pouch. and the absorbent enclosure in. proper relative posh tion to each other. The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts,v as set forth in the claims hereof, one form. of the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and described in this specification, In the accompanying drawings, 2" Fig. l is a perspective view showing the invention embodied in a catamenial bandare: F'ig. 2 is a view showing the same but with a portion of the external liquid-proof pouch broken away; Fig. 3 is a top view of a portion of one end of the device showing more clearly the method of locking the end of the absorbent enclosure; and

Fig. 4: is a view showing the invention applied as an ordinary surgical bandage.

The invention provides a device which is more: specially useful as a catamenial sack or bandage, but which is also adapted for use, with preferably some modification of size and shape, as an ordinary bandage for any wound or running sore, as for instance in case of vaccination, or in any case where it is desired to apply a medicated pad to a portion of the body. The present device is an improvement upon the type of bandage shown for instance in the patent to E. A. Knieriem, No. 1,217,014, dated February 20, 1917, having a similar pliable pouch containing absorbent material, but being provided with means, which are lacking in the Knieriem device, for always maintaining the pouch in proper position over the absorbent material. i

In carrying my invention into efiect in the embodiment thereof which I have selected for illustration in the accompanyinserted reinforcing" rings in the tubular ends, but I do not consider these features essential.

The pouch is in a general way similar to that shown, for instance, in the Knieriern patent above referred to, but difiers from it in the size and shape of the main opening. It has been found in practice that a pouch constructed exactly as shown in the Knieriem patent is unsatisfactory for the reason that it does not adapt itself to the person; of the wearer as completely as is desired, but that if applied to the body of a person of small size, the side edges of the main opening are aptto bend outwards in such a way as to possibly permit leakage of any liquid in the pouch. I therefore consider it. important to construct the pouch with a larger and wider main opening, or in other words not to provide as high side walls to thepouoh as .in the device above referred to.

The pouch is preferably constructed of thin soft rubber or the like, so as to be liquid proof, elastic and adapted to easily fit itself to the curvature of the body, and soft and non-irritating to the skin.

The pouch is intended to receive an absorbent bandage or sanitary napkin, as for instance, a gauze strip properly folded and containing intermediate its ends a pad of absorbent cotton or the like. Such a bandage is shown in the drawings, the middle portion, which is exposed by the main open.- ing of the pouch, being designated 20, and the thinner end portions, which extend through the tubular ends of the pouch, being designated 18.

When the device is used as an ordinary bandage, as for instance, in case of vaccination, the same is placed around the arm and the ends 18 may be merely tied, or they ma be secured in an suitable manner. When t e device is u as a catamenial bandage, the ends 18. may be merely secured to the garments of'the wearer in any desired manner, or a supporting belt wit dependent straps employed.

The gauze bandage or absorbent material may be easily detached from its support and from the pouch when desired and another substituted therefor. The pouch, being of a water-proof material, may easily be cleansed and sterilized.

It will be obvious that without devices of some kind to removabl and adjustably secure together the pouch and the absorbent materialcontained therein, the ueh would tend to sag down in the midd e, the tubular ends thereof tending to gradually slide down upon the napkin and approach each other, leaving a dependent portion of the uch which would be more or less out of touch with the bandage. greatly desirable that the same be kept in close contact with the bandage, not only in order to prevent accumulation of fluid in the pouch with possible spilling of the same,.but also in order to support in a comfortable manner for the wearer the intermediate thickened part of the bandage. In some of the devices known to the rior art, as for instance the device of the Inieriem patent above referred to, the absence of any provision for this purpose has been found to'be a serious drawback, and although in other devices of the prior art, as for instance that shown in British patent to Durrans, No. 13,361 of 1912, hooks are provided, with sharp points adapted to engage with the bandage, such devices have been found uncomfortable and even dangerous to the wearer, and otherwise unsatisfactory in practice.

In the present invention I provide a simple, jefiicient, comfortable and safe means for maintaining the proper adjustable relation' of the pouch and the absorbent contents as follows: I provide in each tubular endof the pouch a slit 14 in the upper surface, through which is assed the end of the absorbent pouch 18. from the inside outward and over the upper surface of the tapering end of the Mb 11, around the outer edge of the tu ular opening 12 and then downward and through a similar slot 16 in the lower surface of the tubular end, passing then outwards and leaving a free end adapted to be secured to the garments of the wearer or otherwise in a manner which will be well understood.

It is obviously" is end is passed 1 This arrangement is perhaps best shown at the right hand end of Fig. 1, although it may also be well seen in Fig. 3. 'It will be obvious that this arrangement of slots 14 and 16 through which the end 18 of the absorbent material is passed, engaging with the edge of the tubular opening 12 intermediate these slots, provides a perfectly acting catch or check, adjustably securing the pouch and the absorbent material together, which will permit at all times the ends of the pouch to be pulled upward upon the material 18, but which upon the ends of the pouch commencing to slide downward on said material will lock, as shown in the drawings, and prevent any movement in this direction.

The operation and method of use of my invention have been sufliciently explainedin connection with the description of its construction, and need not be alluded to further.

The advantages of my invention will be obvious from what has been above said with regard to its construction and mode of use.

It will be obvious that this device has many applications not herein specified, and that modifications may be made in the construction herein set forth, without departing from the spirit of the invention. The absorbent material may if desired be medicated according to the use for which the same is to be applied, and any suitable absorbent material may be used, according" to the degree of absorptive effect desired.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A sanitary device of the class described comprising a pouch having an opening in the upper part thereof, a tubular end portion, a slit in the upper surface of said tubular end portion, and a second slit in the lower surface of said tubular end portion.

2. In a sanitary device of the class described, the combination with a pouch having an opening in the upper part thereof and a tubular end portion said tubular end portion being provided with a plurality of slits; of absorbent material located in said pouch and exposed through said opening, having an end portion adapted to be ssed outside of a part of the tubular en portion of said pouch and across the outer edge thereof and then through one of said slits.

3. In a sanitary device of the class'described, the combination with a. pouch hav- Ward through one of said slits and then over a portion of said tubular end portion and around the edge thereof and then through the other of said slits; whereby the said tubular end portion and the end portion of said absorbent material are free to move with reference to each other in one direction but are locked against movement with reference to each other in the other direction.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 23d day of March 1923.

HENRY WELLS HOLLY. 

